In the sacred tradition, the rituals honoring the ancestors and the gods are performed with deep reverence and careful observance. The devotee, seeking to satisfy the revered beings, begins by invoking the great sages and teachers: “Om, may Sanaka be satisfied. Om, may Sanandana be satisfied. Om, may Sanātana be satisfied. Om, may Kapila be satisfied. Om, may Āsuri be satisfied. Om, may Voḍhu be satisfied. Om, may Pañcaśikha be satisfied. Om, may the carrier of offerings for humans be satisfied. Om, may Anala be satisfied. Om, may Soma be satisfied. Om, may Yama be satisfied. Om, may Aryaman be satisfied.” Each invocation is offered with the sacred syllable Om, an expression of the highest respect and devotion. The devotee continues, addressing the ancient lineages of ancestors: “Om, may the Agniṣvātta ancestors be satisfied. Om, may the Somapā ancestors be satisfied. Om, may the Barhiṣad ancestors be satisfied.” He bows to Yama, Dharmarāja, Mṛtyu, Antaka, Vaivasvata, Kāla, the destroyer of all beings, Audumbara, Dadhna, Nīla, Parameṣṭhin, Vṛkodara, Citrā, and Citragupta, honoring the many forms and functions of the divine order and the keepers of cosmic law. Turning his heart to the whole universe, the devotee prays, “May the world, from Brahmā down to the very pillar, be satisfied.” He offers salutations and offerings to all ancestors—fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, maternal grandfathers, and their elders—seeking their satisfaction and blessings. He prays, “May the lower, upper, and middle ancestors, those who are gentle, those who have gone before, those who are righteous, protect us as we invoke them.” With the recitation of lineage, the first handful of offerings is made for the father. The devotee remembers, “Our ancestors are Aṅgiras, Atharvan, and Bhṛgu. May we enjoy their favor and be blessed with auspiciousness and a good mind.” He invites the gentle Agniṣvāttas to come by the divine paths, to delight in the offerings, and to grant blessings. With devotion, he offers nourishment: “Om, carrying nourishment, immortality, clarified butter, milk, honey, and sprinkled offerings, you are Svadhā—satisfy my ancestors.” He repeats his salutations and offerings, ensuring each ancestor is remembered. He declares, “The ancestors have not perished; they are satisfied, drinking Svadhā in the three worlds and pure realms. O charioteer, O Jātavedas, with Svadhā, perform the sacrifice well.” He prays for sweetness and harmony: “May the winds move according to truth, may the rivers flow with honey, may the herbs, nights, earth, sky, trees, sun, and cows all be sweet for us.” To the great-grandfathers, he offers further salutations: “Salutations to you, ancestors of essence, strength, life, Svadhā, terror, and wrath. Salutations to the ancestors from the houses, the curds, the clothed ones.” He makes three handfuls of offerings for the maternal grandfathers, followed by those for the maternal relatives. Even those of his lineage who died childless are not forgotten; he offers them satisfaction with water squeezed from cloth. Brahmā, the creator, then explains the rite of Vaiśvadeva. The fire is kindled and sprinkled. The devotee prays, “Om, I send the fire far away; let the stream of enemies go to Yama’s realm. May Jātavedas remain and carry the offering to the gods.” He prepares the seat for Vaiśvānara, the universal fire, awakening him at the three moments of the day and inviting him to enter the herbs and the world, radiant and purifying. Offerings are then made to Prajāpati, Soma, Bṛhaspati, Agni and Soma together, Indra and Agni, Heaven and Earth, Indra, all the gods, Brahman, the waters, the herbs and trees, the planets, the divine deities, Indra’s men, Yama, Yama’s men, and all beings who move in heaven. The devotee prays for nourishment for all, especially for those who wander, poor and suffering, and for the outcastes and fallen ones. Brahmā continues, instructing on the twilight worship, the sandhyā, for the twice-born. “Whether pure or impure, in any state, he who remembers the lotus-eyed one becomes pure both outwardly and inwardly.” The Gāyatrī meter is invoked, with Viśvāmitra as the seer. The devotee contemplates the cosmic body of the mantra: the oceans as the belly, the sun and moon as the eyes, Agni as the mouth, Viṣṇu as the heart, Brahmā and Rudra as the head, and Rudra as the tuft. The sacred syllables Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ, Mahaḥ, Janaḥ, Tapaḥ, and Satyaṃ are assigned to parts of the body, and the heart, head, tuft, armor, and weapon are consecrated. The devotee recites the seven sacred words and prays for the arrival of the boon-giving goddess. In the morning, the deity is Brahma, and the goddess Gāyatrī, clad in red, rides a great swan at sacred Pushkara. At midday, the goddess appears in white, as Maheshvari and Savitri, riding a bull and holding the trident and boons. In the afternoon, Sarasvati, resembling the flax blossom, arrives as Vaishnavi, seated upon Garuda, clad in yellow and bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, shining white in the sun’s orb. The devotee prays for the waters to come and bring delight and strength. For the vision of Maherana, he prays, “The most auspicious essence among you, may you share it with us here, like mothers with their offspring. Waters, grant us progeny. May the waters and herbs be favorable to us and unfavorable to those who hate us. May the waters purify our minds as clarified butter is purified. Truth and reality emerged from austerity; from that, night, the ocean, the year, day and night, and all creation arose. The creator fashioned the sun and moon, heaven, earth, atmosphere, and the higher worlds.” The Gāyatrī is recited, with Vishvamitra as the seer, Gāyatrī as the meter, and Savita as the deity. The devotee invokes the sun, the eye of Mitra, Varuna, and Agni, the soul of all that moves and stands. He prays for long life and clear vision, recognizing the one god who creates all. The gods know the path; the ignorant do not. The devotee offers the mantra with svāhā. He acknowledges the goddess born on the northern peak, dwelling on earth as a mountain, and permitted by Brahmā to depart as she pleases. Brahmā then instructs Vyāsa on the rite of Śrāddha, which brings both enjoyment and liberation. Brahmins, especially celibates, are to be invited. With the sacred thread on the right, the gods are invoked; with the thread on the left, the ancestors. Their feet are washed with mantras and respectful words, “Welcome to you,” and the Brahmins reply, “We are well received.” Water mixed with sacred grass is offered as arghya, first to the gods, then, facing south, to the ancestors by name and lineage, and so also for the maternal ancestors. Flowers are offered into their hands. The devotee prepares the seats with the seven sacred utterances and seats the Brahmins accordingly. He recites, “To the deities, ancestors, and great yogis, salutations to Svadha and Svaha, may they always be present,” three times. He announces the performance of Śrāddha for his ancestors by name and lineage, beginning with the universal gods, and invites the gods to sit upon the sacred grass. He prays for the herbs and Soma to deliver the one for whom the Brahmin acts, and for the appointed gods to be attentive. He drives away demons by scattering barley three times. He purifies the vessel, offers auspicious water and barley, invokes Shri, and offers fragrance. He prays for the divine waters, golden-hued and fit for sacrifice, to be favorable. Water is offered to the Brahmin, who then purifies the vessel, and the strained water is set aside with sacred grass. He offers fragrance, flowers, incense, lamps, and garments, praying that these purifying rites be flawless, and the Brahmin responds in affirmation. With permission, he declares his intention to perform Śrāddha for all ancestors and their wives. The Brahmins grant leave, and the devotee recites three times, “For the deities and the ancestors.” He offers a seat to the ancestors with svadhā, invokes them by name and lineage, and prays for the gentle Agniṣvāttas to come and bless the rite. He scatters sesame to drive away demons and offers sesame, dedicated to Soma, with svadhā, to please the worlds of the ancestors. He offers fragrance and flowers with both hands, addresses the ancestor by name, and offers arghya with svadhā. The vessel is placed appropriately, and he prays for the purification of the worlds and the abodes of ancestors. Fragrance, flowers, incense, lamps, garments, and sacred threads are offered with svadhā, and the Brahmin affirms the inexhaustibility of these offerings and the fulfillment of the devotee’s resolve. With food mixed with ghee, the devotee, with the sacred thread over the right shoulder, offers to the deity-Brahmin, then places the rest for the piṇḍa and for the ancestors and maternal ancestors. The vessel is sealed with kuśa grass, and the devotee recites, “Earth is your vessel, heaven is its cover; I offer nectar into the Brahmin’s mouth, svāhā.” He recalls Vishnu’s three steps, asking for protection of the offering, and the Brahmin’s thumb is placed in the food. The devotee scatters barley, reciting, “I destroy all that is impure; all demons and evil beings are slain.” Siddhārtha seeds are scattered to destroy all malevolent beings. Food is then offered to the deities called Dhūrilocana with ghee, water, and condiments, praying for inexhaustible food and fulfillment of resolve. With the sacred thread reversed, food is placed in the ancestor-Brahmin’s vessel, kuśa grass is placed atop, and the devotee recites, “Earth is your vessel,” and “This is Vishnu,” as the Brahmin’s thumb touches the food. Sesame is scattered, and with left knee to the ground, the devotee offers food with condiments and ghee, free from prohibited items, with svadhā, and pours water facing south. He concludes, “May this Śrāddha be flawless; may the resolve be fulfilled. Let us meditate on the divine radiance of Savitṛ; may he inspire our minds.” He prays for sweetness in all things: “May the sweet winds blow, may the rivers flow with honey, may the herbs, nights, dawns, earth, heaven, trees, sun, and cows all be sweet for us.” He recites, “Madhu, madhu, madhu”—honey, the essence of sweetness—completing the sacred rites with a heart full of devotion and gratitude.